When starting a centrifugal water pump powered by an internal combustion engine or other power source, the pump must first be filled with fluid, such as water, to initiate the fluid moving cycle. Such a practice is commonly referred to as priming the pump or pump priming. Pump priming is an important step for fluid pump startup procedures but it is also a frequently forgotten step. Lack of the initial water or fluid charge in the pump can result in damage to pump components, such as seals or the like, and is frequently attributable to overheating conditions associated with service life and operation of the pump. Pump performance and longevity can also be severely impacted if the pump is operated under an improperly primed condition. Accordingly, operation of fluid pumps without adequate priming conditions can cause high product return rates, warranty issues, and user dissatisfaction due to the unwanted and undesired damage and/or perceived improper function of the pump assembly. As pump priming is not an intuitive step even for frequent users of such devices, communicating the need to prime the pump before starting in a more intuitive manner than via user manuals, instructions, and/or hand tags, etc. would be desirable.
Further, the orifice associated with the priming activity is customarily small, frequently only approximately one inch in diameter, and is filled by a bucket or other portable reservoir. When pouring water into the priming passage, a significant quantity of water can spill over the sides, over the pump, and onto the ground rather than into the pump housing. Additionally, many such systems include a bung or similar plug structure that obstructs the priming opening during operation of the pump. A tool is commonly required to effectuate removal and insertion of the plug with respect to the pump housing between each priming and pump operating condition. Due to the generally small volume associated with the priming passage, it can also periodically be necessary to repeatedly prime a pump before the pump can achieve a condition of maintaining a self-sustained operating condition associated with movement of fluid in a desired manner. Accordingly, there is a desire to provide a pump priming assembly that is intuitive to operate, provides an obvious indication associated with the priming activity, is easy to operate, and can achieve the desired self-sustained operation of the pump device with a single priming activity.
The present invention discloses various pump priming arrangements or assemblies that resolve one or more of the shortcomings disclosed above. One aspect of the invention includes a pump priming assembly that enlarges the opening into a funnel or similar enlarged shape fill area at the pump so that water can be added to the pump more easily and such that the priming step is visually called out. In those configurations that include a removable cap, ease of associating the bung or cap with the opening is enhanced via the use of coarse threads. In other operable arrangements a limited turn, such as a quarter turn actuator, handle, or lever, etc., is provided to allow selective fluid connectivity between the volume associated with the priming assembly and the operating volume associated with the working fluid path associated with operation of the pump. Various aspects of the present invention include features associated with addressing and resolving the issue of potential damage to the pump due to improper priming conditions and/or insufficient fluid flow through the pump assembly.
One aspect of the invention discloses a priming assembly for use with portable pump assemblies. The priming assembly includes a body having a first end that is constructed to cooperate with a pump housing of a portable pump and a second end that is offset from the first end. A chamber is defined by the body and extends between the first end and the second end of the body. The chamber is defined by a cross-sectional area associated with the first or pump facing end of the body that is less than a cross-sectional area of the chamber associated with the second or fill end of the body.
Another aspect of the invention discloses a power driven pump assembly that includes a pump housing and an impeller that is disposed in the pump housing. The impeller is configured to communicate a working fluid along a working fluid path from a working fluid inlet toward a working fluid outlet during operation of the impeller. A priming chamber is configured to be in fluid communication with the working fluid path and is defined by a priming passage inlet that has a larger cross section area than a priming passage outlet associated with communicating a priming fluid to the working fluid path associated with the impeller.
A further aspect of the invention discloses a method of forming a power driven pump assembly that includes providing a pump defined by a pump housing that defines a pump chamber and that substantially encloses an impeller configured to communicate a working fluid from a working fluid inlet to a working fluid outlet during operation of the impeller. A priming charge passage is provided that is configured to communicate a fluid priming charge to the pump chamber for priming the pump and is defined by a priming charge inlet that has a larger cross section area than an outlet of the priming charge passage.
These and other aspects and features of the invention will be further understood from the drawings and the following brief and detailed description of the drawings.